39 airports to get hand-held explosive scanner

NEW DELHI: Small airports will soon get an additional layer of security, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) procuring real-time viewing systems for 39 airports, including Bhopal, Dehradun, Trichy and Jodhpur, two officials familiar with the matter said.

The equipment is essential for the functioning of bomb detection and disposal systems and used for the detection of weapons and explosives through a hand-held device.

In April, Hindustan Times reported that only six of the 61 airports guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) are equipped to defuse and dispose of explosives.

Bomb detection and disposal squads were operational at the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Cochin and Hyderabad, and following three rounds of meetings with civil aviation ministry, Amritsar airport also joined the list.

Airports require 28 pieces of equipment including explosive vapour detectors, bomb disposal suits, and remote-operated vehicles for making explosive detection and disposal squads operational, according to rules specified by the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The real-time viewing systems (RVTS) will make it easier for security personnel to identify a potential threat in an abandoned bag.

“This will help to evaluate threat objects from a safe distance and identify the best method for disposal. RTVS is used for detection of threat items such as explosives and weapons. It can be a valuable aid in assessing and defusing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by helping security personnel evaluate threat object from a safe distance and identify the best method for disposal,” said AAI in written response to a query from HT. Privately run airports and 18 AAI airports had the systems in place by 2012. AAI is procuring the systems for 39 more airports at the behest of the BCAS.